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Providence
prov·i·dence /ˈprävədəns/ # The protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power # Foresight; provident care; providing carefully for the future And so was Providence, the city in the mountain and upon the hill. It was a gathering place of all those who lived under the sun, to live, prosper, and settle. A perfect utopia of freedom and acceptance, with dragons of all creeds and colors coming from all over to take part in a great experiment of peace and unity. The two founders themselves were hybrids born even during the turbulent condition of war and hate. Born from the unlikely pair of a Nightwing and a Rainwing, they saw themselves as an exception, a bridge in a world of walls. So they took it upon themselves to create a city that would reflect their hopes and dreams for a better future. Little did they know that they would eventually create a shelter where all of dragonkind could live in peace and harmony, sheltered away from the corruption of the world; a Divine Providence where dragons could simply live. Or so the story goes. Description The city is an expansive one, surprising, considering its relatively short amount of time on the continent. Providence is located in and around one of the Claws of the Clouds mountains and is separated into two distinct districts. The main district, commonly seen as the focal point of the city, includes the entire hollowed out inside of the mountain and a small subterranean area just underneath the mountain. Often, it is referred to by locals as "The Drop". This name refers to the straight drop from the highest point to the bottommost point, which is only stopped by ledges lining the sides of the hollowed out mountain. Generally, most high-end residential areas tend to be concentrated toward the top of The Drop, while most economic and administrative activity happens at the base of the mountain. Caught in the middle are a variety of different services and middle-class residential areas as well as a bulk of the local education system. Below the bottom of The Drop is a small subterranean area that is mostly home to some lower end middle-class citizens, but is generally used as a large prison system. Conveniently, it is also home to the headquarters of the Providence Police Department. The secondary district lovingly referred to as "Poverty Town" is located just outside of the main district of Providence. As its local name implies, it is often held in lower regard to those who live in The Drop, and it is a popular misconception to call those that live there all lower class citizens. While these claims are not totally unfounded, especially the further you stray away from the main focal point, Poverty Town actually is an important part of Providence that serves as a launching pad for mining operations in the desert and the mountains surrounding Providence. This kind of economic activity that takes place in Poverty Town creates a unique blend of blue and white collar workers all huddled in the same area. Towards the edge of Poverty Town, the name becomes incredibly fitting. It is dotted with small huts designed for nothing but efficient, not meant to house more than one dragon at a time. These huts form a sprawling slum area that many regard as "The Cesspool". However, the closer you get toward The Drop, the better the conditions become, with the closest point being a popular meeting point for business executives and managers of large mining corporations. The Drop Originally, Providence was planned to only be this hollowed out area, and it was, but as more and more dragons started to flock to Providence for economic opportunity and social equality, The Drop became far too cramped to house everyone. Ironically, this led to an intense and well-defined divide of people into distinct socioeconomic classes where those who had money and power stayed, while the rest were cast out into the surrounding area, leaving them to build their own settlements. Due to the original intent of Providence, The Drop has been come to be associated not only with older and richer citizens of Providence but also with hybrids. In an ironic twist, hybrids actually make up the majority of those who live in The Drop and often hold positions of status and power. The minority, pureblood dragons from mixed tribes are often looked down upon and with contempt in The Drop, with most of them being associated with hateful bigotry and conservative tradition. They are often seen as unenlightened racists who are stuck in their ways. However, this view is almost completely false. The Drop is divided into four vernacular regions that most inhabitants and tourists alike familiarize themselves with almost immediately. The Millionaire's Perch The Millionaire's Perch is the uppermost level of The Drop. It is characterized by high amounts of economic development, but next to no offices or services. It is generally known as a high-end residential area, as the name suggests. Originally intended as a place of science by one of the original twins, the sheer beauty and intricacies of the architecture have led it to be instead used for large and luxurious housing. The Millionaire's Perch is dotted by hundreds of carefully crafted and tested balconies that provide a stunning view of the surrounding landscape. In the higher levels though, the view is often blocked out by the clouds below, providing a view of only the expansive and seemingly endless deep blue. Most of the residential units in this area are inhabited by influential upper-class hybrids, but it is not too uncommon a sight to see a pureblood here once in a while, especially if that pureblood is a particularly famous one. Middle Providence Middle Providence is the largest area in The Drop area and often regarded as the cultural and service-based economic focal point. This is where you will find the most trace of hybrid culture and because of this, often finds itself to be the center of tourist activity. Because of this, local residents have taken to flaunt their combined culture. It isn't surprising to find murals and sculptures littered around Middle Providence, a constant reminder of the expressive color and nature of the culture and people alike. Middle Providence also is home to some of the most prestigious academies and schools in the whole Providence area, making it a hotspot for younger dragons looking for proper education. As a result, most of the area is populated by a younger demographic of hybrids and an increased number of young purebloods who travel to Providence to continue their education. However, Middle Providence is not only occupied by the young; it also finds itself to be home to older culture of times past, with markers, statues, and museums commemorating the history of Providence and honoring the hybrids who lived through struggles decades ago. Apart from that, it finds itself to be home to a decent amount of non-university dragons who make their living as shop owners and artisans. Providence Proper Providence Proper is at the very base of The Drop, and is home to most administrative buildings. It isn't used for much else, and is pretty much a service and residential dead zone, being home to almost exclusively government buildings and libraries. However, it is home to one of the twins. She isn't Queen of Providence, but often offers advice and counsel to the current Queen as well as make sure that government all runs smoothly. It is worth noting that most government officials in Providence Proper are hybrids. The Underworld The Underworld is a part of Providence that is not known to anyone beyond select government officials and those in the PPD (Providence Police Department), and for good reason too. The Underworld is really only known as an elaborate and purposefully disorienting labyrinthian complex meant only to house high-risk prisoners and their guards. Despite this being the norm, it is not too uncommon to see the occasional regular felon if space is running low, however, this is considered a last resort, as The Underworld is particularly harsh in its punishments. It is not uncommon for The Underworld to drive dragons to insanity; guards and prisoners alike. Its inherently confusing design naturally thwarts any attempts of organized rebellion through the complex system of cells, hallways, and dead ends. The corridors are excessively claustrophobic and enchanted to brightly lit all the time, disorienting the body's internal clock. Not only that, but The Underworld was enchanted to actively change its own layout every month or so, which furthers a sense of confusion among prisoners and guards alike. The Warden has a magical map that carefully tracks the layout of The Underworld in detail, but even so, guards still often find themselves lost. In one or two extreme cases, search parties had to be sent in looking for lost guards. Among the few who do know about The Underworld, it has become a prevalent topic in debate, not only on the ethics of trapping dragons in what is increasingly seen as a fate worse than death but also on the expenditure that the massive jail proves to be for the Providence government. The only thing that keeps The Underworld in use is the word of one of the founding twins, in where she often argues that The Underworld is protecting Providence from a dangerous individual that could very well end not only Providence, but all of Pyrrhia. While most government lawmakers are skeptical of this claim, to say the least, they still keep The Underworld open and financed, if not only to fulfill the wishes of the twin. However, as her influence is starting to slip, more and more lawmakers are pushing to completely wall off The Underworld. However, the twin is not delusional. Trapped deep within the depths of The Underworld, there is a cell especially crafted for one specific animus dragon. It's a small room that is relatively isolated from the main portion of The Underworld and is enchanted with all sorts of barriers that not only bind this dragon to the room for eternity, but remove his powers. Above the labyrinth is a small area in where the PPD established its headquarters. Along with the PPD headquarters, a few lower middle-class dragons have decided to settle, but stay as far away from the entrance to the labyrinth of The Underworld as possible. Poverty Town Poverty Town, as it is known to the locals, is the second district of Providence, which is primarily outside of the primary mountain area that Providence is known for. This area is mostly populated by purebloods, due to the nature of Providence's original purpose, which was to provide a haven for hybrids. Due to this, purebloods have often been shunned in Providence and were pushed out when space was running low in The Drop. This second area, while commonly known to be a breeding place of crime and poverty, as the name implies, this is mostly false. The only area that is similar to this description is a vernacular region known only as "The Cesspool", which is an area filled to the brim with tightly packed slums, which is filled by poor purebloods. The notion that this is a crime-filled, hell on earth would not be an inaccurate description. The other area within Poverty Town is known only as Pureblood Point, which as the name implies, has a large concentration of mostly of upper and middle-class purebloods. Mixed in with the purebloods are a few rich hybrids who often deal business with big companies. The Cesspool The Cesspool, to say the very least, is exactly what the name implies, that being a breeding ground for the worst scum on the continent. Fueled by poverty, many of those who find themselves trapped here often turn to a life of violent crime. It might sound disorderly and like absolute chaos, but surprisingly, it isn't. The Cesspool may be a center of crime, but all crime conducted inside The Cesspool is managed by a few incredibly strong crime syndicates that all have a huge stake in governmental power over Poverty Town as a whole. More often than not, individual criminals will either be stomped out by larger crime syndicates or in some rare instances, recruited. However, that is not to say that these big syndicates are friendly with each other, in fact, they are bloody rivals who hostilities go back decades. It isn't too uncommon a sight to see signs of heated battle in the streets between members of different syndicates, which often leaves destruction in its wake. These are clear evidence of the intense power struggle that these syndicates often find themselves in, desperately trying to come out on top, but never winning. Sometimes innocent bystanders find themselves caught in the crossfire, and in certain cases, killed over these conflicts. Generally though, when the syndicates aren't locked in a brutal and violent conflict, they try their best to keep the neighborhood in relative peace and quiet, on the rare occasion, banding together to stifle a larger and more dangerous threat. Because of this, it might not be fitting to call them syndicates, but rather vigilantes. They are only really classed as syndicates by the PPD because of their occasional illegal activity to achieve their ends. Other than that, The Cesspool has been known to house an extensive underground black market, where it is speculated that anyone could by anything from fresh dragon organs to animus enchanted weapons and talismans. The prices are relatively cheap, and anyone from anywhere could buy or sell anything. According to official PPD reports however, this black market technically does not exist and never has existed. This might be in part because they buy a sizable portion of their weapons from this very black market. The Cesspool is also noted to have the smallest and weakest PPD local outpost in all of the other regions. This is most likely due to certain under the table dealings between the PPD and local syndicates. Often times, those who are assigned to this outpost almost immediately request for transfer. Those who stay are said not to survive more than a week before either turning into a crooked cop, or turning into a corpse. Those who live in The Cesspool often turn a blind eye to the corruption around them, but occasionally, there are local citizens who truly take the law into their own talons, rising up against both the local PPD and the syndicates. While noble in cause, those who undertake this effort to retake their town are often put down one way or another within the first few days. Most are relatively content with the security and safety that the syndicates bring, but the few who aren't often find the syndicates to be their enemies, rather than their allies. Pureblood Point Place holder Political System The political system of Providence consists of three main bodies of government, this being the Queen, the one-house legislative body, which consists of representatives from both districts, and a one-dragon body of government that oversees the entire operation of government. This last body government is made up of only Dawn, one of the founding twins of Providence. The Queen The Queen, as in most Pyrrhian governments, has almost complete and utter control over the people and government, and ultimately has the final say in almost every decision. However, in the case of Providence, her powers are toned down a bit, instead being countered by the powers of Congress and of the Overseer. That is to say, that while the Queen holds considerable power, Congress can occasionally turn down certain acts if they are deemed too tyrannical. Despite this, the Queen generally has the most control over Providence. Without proper cause to believe that the Queen is corrupt, Congress and The Overseer serve merely as advisors to the Queen. The Queen is elected every 5 years or so, to make sure that no one Queen gains too much power and influence over Providence. However, this rule can be effectively bypassed if Congress re-elects the same Queen over and over again in elections. Unlike tradition, however, challenging the Queen is strictly prohibited, and is reserved only if the Queen is deemed to be corrupt. The current Queen is a rather young dragon named Lily, who is an Icewing-Rainwing Hybrid that is around 10 years old. Elected only by the hand of Congress, she has quickly grown unpopular with the masses and often is brought up in debates about changing the legal system. Lily is almost comically childish and quiet, often loafing around governmental buildings doing nothing but reading books and talking to her friends. However, she still finds herself to hold the immense power that comes with being with the Queen. Generally, she is shy and indecisive, often calling upon Congress and The Overseer to make decisions for her. And here lies the heart of the problem. Of course, no one in their right mind would elect a child into office, but if the child was submissive enough, then it would prove to be a great asset, not necessarily to Providence itself, but to Congress. Because they control all elections, they have essentially created a bypass through the Queen. Technically, Providence currently isn't being ruled by a Queen, but by a congress. Congress Despite the traditionality of such institutions as the Queen, the Congress actually finds itself to be a radical change to the norm. Usually, advisors would be a group of the Queens most trusted people, but in Providence, it is instead a one-house Congress that votes and advises the Queen on certain issues. While their vote does not have any bearing on what will actually happen, the Queen has the final say, it does inform the Queen of what the, as a collective, feel is the right choice in a matter. Usually this system would work relatively well, with Congress weighing in on issues and the Queen making educated decisions based on the results, but lately, this has not been the case. As mentioned before, this is due to the election of Lily as the new Queen, which all but allows Congress to rule over Providence. Congress is composed of representatives from both districts of Providence, with both getting an equal amount of representatives, 25 each. The people elect every single representative that they wish to have in Congress, and their voices are heard through those they vote into office. of course this isn't a perfect system, but generally, it works well. As expected, representatives that come from The Drop region are almost completely made up of hybrid politicians. Generally, they all come from rich backgrounds and have been trained their entire lives for this kind of job. Due to the nature of their status and power, they are often alienated from their primary demographic, and their views reflect this. Representatives from Poverty Town, however, are a completely different story. These are dominantly self-made men kinds of politicians, often working their way from nothing to the position they hold today. Generally, they have a very close connection and tightly knit loyalty with the citizens of Poverty Town. Their views reflect this mindset. However, mixed in with those kinds of representatives are those who come from a syndicate background and those who spring up from a life of crime and underhanded political practices. While this isn't a majority, it is a sizeable minority within the ranks. The Overseer The Overseer is the one who oversees the other parts of government and makes sure that they are not corrupt. The current Overseer is Dawn, one of the founders of Providence. The Overseer and the Overseer alone has the ability to launch investigations of government corruption among any part of it and has the power to conduct investigations on, impeach, and possibly forcefully resign any government official that she wishes. She also serves as a secondary personal advisor to the Queen and fills in the position of the Queen if the Queen is unable to do her job for whatever reason. Due to the nature of the Overseer's job, they are given a status above the law. In other words, the Overseer alone has the power to legally do anything, which also includes stealing, unwarranted breaking and entering, murder, practically anything. They are able to do anything, and the PPD must willingly submit to and support the Overseer in their activities. If the Overseer is assaulted by any PPD trooper, that particular dragon might be charged with treachery and meddling with an official investigation. Due to the immense amount of power given to the Overseer, only the purest of the pure may hold this title. Usually, The Overseer serves for a life term, unless he or she voluntarily steps down. When the title needs to be passed down, whether it be due to the voluntary relinquishment of power or death of the Overseer, it must be passed on by the Overseer themselves. In the rare occasion that the Overseer is assassinated, or otherwise dies abruptly, the position is passed down to their next of kin or the dragon they state in their will. If both are unreachable, whether it be because they do not wish to take the position, or simply do not exist, the title will be passed on to someone who is chosen by popular vote. In this vote, Congress and the Queen will have no say in the results. However, it is unlikely that the Overseer's position will trade talons anytime soon; Dawn has an enchanted necklace that allows her to live forever with eternal youth. The only way she would reasonably lose the position was if she was killed in an investigation, or willingly gave up her position. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because as far as Overseers go, Dawn is possibly the greatest one that Providence could have. She might be a little lazy at times, but to the very core, she has Providence's best wishes at heart. To this day, she has never had to exercise any of the more drastic measures to aid in one of her official investigations, and she is well liked among most government officials. Law Enforcement and Military Place Holder Providence Police Department (PPD) The Providence Police Department is surprisingly large, for such a relatively peaceful state such as Providence. In fact, many have cited it as being one of the largest and most militarized police departments in Pyrrhia. The PPD is relatively uncorrupt, making citizen safety their top priority, but it isn't too uncommon to see a crooked cop or two shaking down innocent dragons when their superior officers' eyes are turned. Providence Military Providence does not really have a military per se, due to their economic and social focus. However, in times of war, the government has planned to set aside funds for the hiring of foreign mercenaries. Providence generally is a neutral city, however, and tends to stay far away from any situations that might lead to war. They have no military alliances with any other tribe or city. Founders Place Holder Dawn Place Holder a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Dusk Category:Places Category:Content (RibbonRaptor)